


To be or not to be

by yui_minatsuki



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Horror, M/M, Original Character(s), Spirits, mention of clones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-04 04:28:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10268255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yui_minatsuki/pseuds/yui_minatsuki
Summary: Fatally wounded by two gunshots, Asseylum Vers Allusia had died in that landing castle (the end of season 1). Despite that, Count Saazbaum healed and nourished her soulless body in a tank; he did that to give Slaine Troyard, the boy he preferred to be his son, a (false) hope that broken boy would need to keep on living his life.But then (as we saw in 2nd season) miracle happened: the girl inside the tank woke up. She harbored the memories of Asseylum, she had the body, and the voice of Asseylum, but as the ghostly image of a blond haired Princess came clearer to her side—this  Asseylum started to question herself: Was she really ‘Asseylum, the Princess of Vers’?Kinda horror story. Asseylum centered. There will be OC and canon character death and possible OOCness. Inaho/Slaine would be mentioned here, but their relationship wasn’t the main focus. Don’t expect normal happy ending. Read at your own risk. Forgive my possibly strange English.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story has nothing to do with Aldnoah Re:live. This story IS NOT trying to explain how the Princess was still alive with no scar tissue seen after the AZ season 1. This story is born due to some talks on chatroom that turned into an ‘idea beast’ which won’t leave me alone; I have to let it out and play.
> 
> Thank you very much for giving your precious time reading this m_ _m

On the dim-lit master bedroom in Klancain Cruhteo’s landing castle, Asseylum Vers Allusia blinked, slowly; she came closer and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The image of her, a long haired blond princess in casual white dress was there, hiding her hands on her back, smiling…

 

Although she wasn’t. 

 

She thought that perhaps she’s just tired. She had just visited the quite old Count Maxim to negotiate peace in the South East Asia; it was a difficult talk. The Count was that conservative type, and he despised the Terrans. He claimed to be loyal to the Empress, but it was nearly impossible to make him gave back the Earth territory he had claimed. For the time being, the Count had succeeded in persuading her not to make him giving the archipelago freedom. He still insisted that she should be very careful in putting her trust on the United Earth. 

 

He showed her a drawing of a young - long black hair - Terran lady. She had saved him when he was heavily wounded and got lost in the forest during the first war. Despite all the difficulties and protest of his fellow Martian soldiers, he secretly brought and kept her in his landing castle. He loved that woman; she was special to him… She still looked young and beautiful even after all this time. 

 

He killed her one year ago. He had proof that she was UFE’s spy. Even so, he still loved her until now. He could never overcome this taste of betrayal. He would never believe in the people of Earth again, and he advised Asseylum to do the same.

 

The more she faced this kind over-generalizing degrading opinion around the Terran, the more she remembered her pale blond childhood friend. Had he fought against this kind of belittling treatment this long time? She didn't remember ever received any word of complain around living in the Mars from him. Never. He only told her about the Earth—like about its wildlife, and why the sky is blue—just like what she wanted to hear from him.

 

Just like what she wanted to hear from him.

 

She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. She hoped Kaizuka Inaho was successful in his attempt of saving Slaine Troyard from the chains of misery. 

 

_“Do you really wish to save him? If so, why don’t you go and do it yourself? Do you really care for him?”_

 

Asseylum quickly opened her eyes. She met her reflection in the mirror right away. Nothing’s wrong; she was there; tiredness and stress were evident from her face.

 

She walked away from the mirror. Each step was filled with uncertainty. Who had been talking to her? It did sound like her voice. But she didn’t say anything back then. She knew it for sure.

 

When she was on the lonely bed she decided to just forget everything. She was absolutely tired—that’s it.

 

But in her dream, the face of the long black hair dead woman was still haunting her. She was glaring at her without saying a thing--just look, with her wide eyes. So did the face of Slaine Troyard whom had been branded as the mastermind of her assassination plot and caused the second Earth – Mars war. He stared at her, but it was as if she was being transparent and he was actually looking at someone behind her.

 

Somehow, she was scared—she’s really scared to look back. And she couldn’t understand why.

 

* * * 

 

She woke up still feeling all tired. It’s as if she hadn’t been sleeping at all. 

 

She felt someone was breathing behind her. It was her husband; Klancain was sleeping beside her. Sometime during the night he had been back without her notice—like he was kind of avoiding her if he could. She heaved a sigh.

 

Recently they had been having private small talk less and less—mostly what they had now was just discussion and debate around Earth or Vers politics. Those were not really a romantic conversation between couple. Well, it couldn’t be helped; their marriage was bound by their roles as Vers royalties—Asseylum was truly aware of that. But still, it made her sad.

 

He had said that he’s loyal to her—that he was willingly gave up his all and his resources for the Princess—all the way she would like to spend it. But it was five years ago. People changed. Heart is fluctuating. She had to bear with it now. She hoped that he would be back all loving and caring just like during the early years of their marriage. 

 

_“You prefer him to love you, but do you love him?” ___

__

__That voice again. Was she really hearing it or was it just playing in her mind? She looked around and saw no one else was inside this room. The dim light fluttered a bit. She messaged her temple—what’s wrong with her these days?_ _

__

__She got out of her bed as she intended to call her maid through the intercom. She needed to prepare herself for the inauguration of the new Aldnoah Reactor. This was the reactor that could be activated by anyone. She had to come as she had given a lot of sum in its development. This time, chief commander of the UFE would be the one who activated it._ _

__

__Count Maxim’s advice for not trusting Terrans rang in her ears._ _

__

__Then, she remembered Slaine, Inaho, and everyone at the Deucalion. She chose to trust. She had been. All this time. If not, peace like now wouldn’t be achieved._ _

__

_“Peace that is made from the sacrifice of my dear friend. Who are you? How dare you do so…”_

__

Asseylum looked up and couldn't believe what she saw right now. There was _her_ at the corner of the dim room--near the portrait of she and her husband in their wedding attire. _She_ was chuckling so softly while _her_ pale hand was covering her mouth. _Her_ eyes couldn't be seen as hair was covering it. 

__

__"Who.... Who.... ?" Asseylum felt it's difficult to find her voice._ _

__

_"What? You should know me so well."_ that _her_ was smoothly approaching her as if _she_ wasn't stepping on the floor at all. 

__

__Asseylum terrifiedly stepped back and tripped on the bed end. She fell down and her elbow landed on Klancain's hip. The husband abruptly woke up and moved away._ _

__

__"What? What's going on?"_ _

__

__"Th... There... There was..." Asseylum pointed at the image she saw. _She_ was stopping at _her_ previous place, smiling. _ _

__

__Klancain only looked at Asseylum in confusion, "what? What is there?"_ _

__

__"You... You do not see her?" She looked at her husband, wide eye._ _

__

__"Her? Who?"_ _

__

__Asseylum looked back at the corner of the room. _She_ was no longer there. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Was she saw _something_ or was it thing that was only exist on her mind? _ _

__

__Asseylum shook her head, "no... Nothing. I guess I'm just too tired."_ _

__

__Klancain just sat there--he didn't touch her cheek or hug her to calm her. "Oh. How about not attending the inauguration today? You really should take a rest." He plainly said._ _

__

__"I can't; this is important to show our trust and goodwill."_ _

__

__"I see." Her husband replied shortly. He heaved a tired sigh. He really didn't want to begin an endless debate of how their people--Martians--were suffering for her act of making the Earth people an apple in her eyes. He stood up and silently walked out._ _

__

__Asseylum sadly smiled._ _

__

__

__* * *_ _

__

__

__The activation for the new Aldnoah reactor was today. Inaho was invited, but he had decided not to come._ _

__

__It’s because, he had chosen to accompany Slaine playing chess today. Besides, Paris was quite far from the place he was in now. It was an island not listed in the general map where the newest Earth Aldnoah unit was being designed and built. He didn't want to sacrifice his chance of spending time with his previous enemy just to meet the Empress of the Vers._ _

__

__The pale blond was just staring at the board, disinterested. It was Inaho who moved the black and white pieces all this time. It was half of ‘their’ third game now._ _

__

__"What happened?" Slaine finally asked._ _

__

__Inaho stopped moving the queen, mid-air. "I don't quite understand what the reason of you asking that question."_ _

__

__"You've been acting strange today." Slaine took the white queen away from Inaho's hand and put in on the board--in a pretty step that brought a check mate._ _

__

__The brunet stared at the game, silently. "Want to try playing Go?" He said after some moment._ _

__

__Slaine huffed, "It's up to you; you own this place. I'm just a free loader; who am I to complain?"_ _

__

__Inaho stared at him in a way that Slaine knew he was angry. "It is _our_ home, Kaizuka Elaine."_ _

__

__Slaine's face turned bright red, "Stop calling me with that name when there's just the two of us. I beg you."_ _

__

__"Why feel embarrassed? There's nothing to be ashamed of when you were pretending to be woman. Or, do you want to say that you don't like being _my wife_?"_ _

__

__"That's... That's not it.... It's... It's just--"_ _

__

__"Just remember that you are _my wife_ ; never omit that on every introduction you make in front of our colleagues here just like how you messed it up three days ago on that too-talkative newbie Lee." The brunet stated. _ _

__

__"So.... you are angry because of that?" Slaine couldn't believe that's his only reason--he must be hiding another something._ _

__

__"I am." Inaho abruptly stood up, and walked to the wooden cupboard where he stored most of their play-things to take the go-ban._ _

__

__Slaine knew right away that the brunet simply didn't want to share his problem with him. He sighed. "I think I'd rather read now." He then grabbed whatever he could reached on the bookshelf beside him. He opened random pages of that manga, refusing to look at Inaho._ _

__

__The brunet silently glared at him, and then sat right beside his pale blond companion. He definitely wouldn't say that he was being invited too. He didn't want Slaine to see her again--wherever and whatever._ _

__

__"......is it something to do with Paris Aldnoah Reactor?"_ _

__

__Inaho just kept quiet. He opened the next page of the comic Slaine was holding._ _

__

__"Lee told me that he was invited. I guess all the team is. What about you? Don't you want to see the beginning of the result of our hard work being useful for a lot of people?"_ _

__

__".....I'd rather spend the whole day with you--just the two of us." The brunet mumbled._ _

__

__".....you know... I don't want to go there too. Empress Asseylum is right to finally forget me and do not invite me."_ _

__

__Inaho smiled a little. He opened the next page just for the sake of brushing Slaine's lower arm._ _

__

__"Oh, wow....this scene..." Slaine finally took a closer look at the manga._ _

__

__Inaho stared; it was a scene where the main character found out that there were many _clones_ of his friend floating inside a clear huge glass tank. They all bore same face, same hair, and same soulless expression. _ _

__

__"Creepy..... This reminds me of that rumor." Slaine mumbled._ _

__

__"Rumor?"_ _

__

__"You know, some highly imaginative conspiracy theory... about clones of the royalties of Vers."_ _

__

__"Oh, Mars has that too?"_ _

__

__"I don't think any government in the universe could escape 'conspiracy theory'."_ _

__

__"True. Ah, in this story the clone was made because this character’s father loved his death wife too dearly that he tried to get her back, using the clone. I can relate to him."_ _

__

__"What?"_ _

__

__"What about Vers? Why are they making clones?"_ _

__

__"Uh... It's... You know about Aldnoah and Vers bloodline exclusive activation right. Perhaps people are afraid that the royal family is gone; if that happened, who else could give them the activation right? Mars was definitely inhabitable without the power of Aldnoah; it's already hard enough as it is. So, they're imagining that the Emperor Rayregalia had stored some clones somewhere in case it happened, since the life of the humanity on a whole one planet is depended on the royal bloodline."_ _

__

__"I see. But that won't be necessary as finally there's Aldnoah that can be activated by anyone. That is one death of conspiracy theory." Inaho hastily close the book. "Come on. Let's play Go."_ _

__

__

__* * *_ _

__

__

__Asseylum knew Klancain had been trying hard to protect her all this time._ _

__

__And she also knew that if the existence of Aldnoah that could be activated by anyone came true, her life would be targeted even more than before; people would not need to fear of losing activation right. Her husband's work would become a lot harder. She could understand that perhaps it was the reason behind his cold attitude toward her._ _

__

__He always looked away and didn't see her at all during her inauguration speech._ _

__

__Chief Commander Hakkinen touched the white ball of Aldnoah and activated it. It worked._ _

__

__The huge room became very bright with the light of Aldnoah. All the audience stood up and rejoiced. Many people hugging each other. The words "congratulation!" "it works!" "Finally!" filled the air. General Magbaredge even had tears in her eyes as she was hugged by her assistant._ _

__

__....Klancain just plainly clasped his hand, with hollow eyes._ _

__

__Showered by the spotlight, the flashing of the camera, and the clapping hands of the audience...Asseylum felt lonely._ _

__

__...and empty._ _

__

__

__

__

__Well, it couldn't be helped. She hid all her sadness with her bright smile. She was the Empress of the Martians, Asseylum Vers Allusia._ _

__

__

_"....Are you?"_

__

__

__That voice came again. She tried to ignore it. Now was not the time._ _

__

__

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_"Are you?"_

__

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_".....are....you....?"_

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_"..........areyou?"_

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_"ARE YOU?"_

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_"Are. You?"_

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_"aaaaaare youuuuuuu?"_

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_"areyou?"_

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_"Are... You....?"_

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_"Are you?"_

__

__

__

__"Are you alright?"_ _

__

__"Stop it!" Asseylum snapped whoever hand that was touching her shoulder. She looked up in horror._ _

__

__It was Klancain's._ _

__

__That young man bit his lips, and then looked away._ _

__

__

__It was a long ride back to their landing castle._ _

__

__

__* * *_ _

__

__

__That night, she had a nightmare._ _

__

__She was carried by someone she couldn't clearly see, through a softly lightened corridor._ _

__

__It was a very long obscure pentagonal alley. She was wrapped in linen. She was still a baby._ _

__

__Suddenly came, darkness. She didn't know for how long. When finally the linen was being opened, she saw her grandfather’s face._ _

__

__His smile was a sad one._ _

__

__He then carried her in his arms. She couldn't see anything else beside his front accessories of the Emperor's robe._ _

__

_"In the name of the Emperor, for the sake of Vers. I order you to make….."_

____

__

__Asseylum awoke in a cold sweat. Her breath was raging as if she had been endlessly running. She turned to her left._ _

__

__Klancain was not sleeping beside her._ _

__

__She tried to calm her breath, clutching her heart._ _

__

__She didn't feel like that was a mere dream. She could still vividly remember the warmth of her grandfather through the linen blankets._ _

__

__She couldn't understand why, but she cried._ _

__

__She didn't dare to sleep again for the rest of the night._ _

__

__* * *_ _

__

__She was returning to Mars and not to come to Earth ever again--Klancain had insisted. His reasoning was that she would be safer in Mars. She could not deny that from the time being._ _

__

__This month alone, after the Paris Aldnoah had been proven successfully working, there were three attacks aimed on her. All was prevented, luckily, before the plan had been executed in public. The groups of assassins were caught and killed first by the Count Maxim. Those threats then made that old count agreed to give up the Earth land he was occupying now to safeguard Asseylum going back to Mars._ _

__

__The old count begged her to end peace with United Earth. Being a pacifist, she refused. She even decided to keep the assassination attempts as secret as she didn't want to give another reason for war to the Martians._ _

__

__On the chamber where she could see the image of the planet Earth down there, she put her hands on her heart._ _

__

__She would leave those calming blue sky and sea. She felt sad._ _

__

__But, she was the princess of Vers; it's only natural that she had to stay on her home planet, right?_ _

__

__.....she had to stay under that limited-atmosphere sky, for the most of her lives._ _

__

__

__…..It's painful._ _

__

__Now that she saw what the blue sky was like, she couldn't stand the thought of going back living under the Vers domed-sky. No birds. No clouds. No sounds of the seagulls ever again. Only a vague buzzing of machineries was floating in the air._ _

__

__She buried her face in her palms. No wonder that the orbital knight really badly wanted to attack Earth back then--perhaps even now. But she couldn't let them. She didn't want war to happen again. Many people had lost their lives. Many people had been wounded. She didn't want to be the cause of it all again. Not anymore. Moreover, she didn't want the tainting and killing of her childhood friend’s identity went to naught. She's also determined not to burden Inaho and Slaine more than she had already done._ _

__

_"Are you alright?"_ a soft hand touched her left shoulder. 

__

__"Yes. Yes, I'm fine. It's just...." Asseylum was gathering all her power to make one fake smile when she realized that there **should be no one** beside her in the room now. _ _

__

__She didn't dare to look. She put her hands down, but she locked her eyes on the picture of the calming planet Earth on the floor._ _

__

_"It's lovely, isn't it? I do not regret losing my life just to be there, seeing its vast blue sky."_

__

__"....w...who.....are.....you.....?" She slumped, and then held on to the armchair on her right. She still didn't dare to look up. But, the 'softness' crouched beside her._ _

__

_"I am Asseylum Vers Allusia. What is your name?"_

__

__Tears of fear were streaming down her face. She glanced at her left, so so slowly._ _

__

__A girl. She was wearing Earth soldier dark-green uniform. Blood. Blood was all over her body. Her face, it was... _hers_. The upper right part of the head was... _ _

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__Asseylum screamed and screamed._ _

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__until it was all black._ _

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__* * *_ _

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__The short black-haired Asian young man nodded, silently, in fear._ _

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__Inaho was younger, but that brunet was far higher rank than him. So, when he was telling him not to say anything regarding to the outside world to his wife he could only comply--even though he didn't really know why._ _

__

__Lee then simply thought that this younger man was that over-possessive-type spouse. But then, he could not really agree to that hypothesis since that brunet was not loud and had this aura of calmness. Well, perhaps because Chief Kaizuka was a newlywed—in an arranged marriage where the husband was the one madly in love while the wife was not really. No wonder he had this worry of his wife leaving him for the beautiful world out there. The Asian man saw that in the institution--and in this small islands life in general--Elaine had respect, but she was not that friendly to her husband. In fact, she's easily getting irritated by the brunet. Probably she loved him but not that deeply._ _

__

__Lee would glad to lend his younger superior a hand. Although he hadn't married yet, he was older and had gone through broken heart many times. That's why he felt he was more experienced than the brunet._ _

__

__"Don't worry. When both of you having kids, she would have no heart to leave you behind in this island no matter how enticing the world out there is."_ _

__

__That afternoon Lee cleaned up the whole, five floors, of the B1 building. All by himself._ _

__

__.......Inaho seriously thought about adoption, though._ _

__

__* * *_ _

__

__Asseylum woke up. Someone was holding her right hand. She looked up. It was Klancain._ _

__

__Somehow her heart felt light, although her husband was not smiling. Worried was written all over his face. "How do you feel? The medics said that there's nothing wrong with your health. But, you look pale."_ _

__

__"I am fine. You don't need to worry about me, Klancain. I appreciate your kindness." She happily said._ _

__

__"I see." her husband released his grip, and stood up. "Take a good rest, Your Highness. We will stay in this rebuilt moon base until you feel well enough. You won't be that far from the Earth as long as you are here. Then, excuse me."_ _

__

__He walked out of the door. Asseylum felt he was blaming her somehow._ _

__

__She tried her best not to cry as there were still their maids and medics in the room._ _

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__* * *_ _

__

__

__Klancain walked through the corridor of the moon base. This place was huge, and it still kept many mysteries for him. He didn't want to prolong his stay in this place, but Count Maxim had told him that it’s better to be here for the time being; it seemed like the Empress wasn't that ready to be long time separated so far from the Earth. The blonde man couldn't deny it; her screaming and fainting proved so._ _

__

__Klancan didn't like this place. This place had the secret that he hid from his wife. The secret that made him disliked being here in the rebuilt Moon Base._ _

__

__Slaine Troyard had made this base self-destruct five years ago. In the process of its rebuild, Countess Relia found out interesting chambers. Those chambers were well-hidden, and highly presumed the son of the late Count Saazbaum didn't even aware of their presence because, if only not by that self-destruction, the hidden chambers would remain sealed and unseen._ _

__

__Those rooms were....reeking of _blasphemy_. _ _

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__In the biggest closed enclosure at the centre, there were two huge tanks to keeping alive body cells. There was a set of tubes with liquid that could facilitate damaged organ growth in the chamber next to it. There were some containers of cloned body parts stored in another room._ _

__

__On one of the big tank on the right, there was remain of black hair woman, long-time dead, floating in the dark water. It's better not to clearly describe its decayed state. She was composed of thoroughly cloned body. It seemed they were trying to revive someone. But, they were failed; the clone never turned out to be what they wanted it to be. So, she was left there like a flesh doll as it was. Since the Moon Base destruction, the power outage to keep her was gone--thus it finally met its end._ _

__

__While for the other tank....the recovered data gathered there stated that the project was to make the dead brain of a young-girl function again, and for her lungs that had been suffered from tension pneumothorax to get back in shape again. In simple terms: to re-animated a corpse as if there was still a life there._ _

__

__Cloned body parts were not new for Martians. The wealthy one could replace their damaged limbs or organs using that, but to use such methods to force a corpse to be able to 'function' again as 'human'.... It was....no one ever dared to do that before._ _

__

__There was a strand of long blonde hair left in that tank. It was Asseylum's._ _

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__Klancain didn't really know how to face _his wife_ after such finding. _ _

__

__

__

__-To be continued-_ _


	2. Chapter 2

Klancain looked at the two tanks in the center of the secret chamber. The remains of _whatever_ inside had been emptied and cleaned. The smell was too much and the investigation team couldn't stand it, that's why. 

 

They had failed to identify the woman besides...'The Blond Hair Girl', and they were confused of whether they should bury 'the woman' or just simply recycle her as the plants fertilizer. Klancain finally decided to 'keep her on the sealed box' until further clues around this room were gathered. 

 

For now, he was thinking of how should he deal with _his wife_ if only she were died. Would he treat her as a high royalty of Vers, or should he simply put her in the garden's soil. She had all the bodily sign of Asseylum Vers Allusia, but was she even human? 

 

The more he thought about it the more he feared of sleeping on the same bed with her, but... 

 

He saw how she had been disturbed by something lately. There were times when she was staring at nothing with fearfull eyes, but no matter how he asked 'why' she never explained anything. She was also gradually being colds toward him lately in this Moon Base. 

 

That made him feel bad. He realized that these months he had not been a really good husband like how he should be. But then, what should he do? But... 

 

.....although (if only) she was not human, that didn't mean she had no feeling. 

 

Klancain felt bad. 

 

"What's wrong, My Lord?"

 

Klancain turned. It was Countess Relia. She was playing with the end of her long sleeve, biting her lips, and looking at him with worry. 

 

"No. Nothing." The Emperor consort walked away, but Countess Relia caught his hand. 

 

"I... I understand that it must be dificult for you to face this... It's... It's also difficult for me... I can't believe that our _beloved_ Empress can be... I'm sorry to say...that she's possibly just--"

 

"Countess Relia, I am sorry to say that I think you have changed a lot. When we were little you were not this brave to speak to your emperor _about his wife_ like this. See you later at the meeting." Klancain coldly turned away and walked out of that steel chamber. 

 

Countess Relia just smirked, when no one was seeing. 

 

 

* * *

 

Asseylum felt disturbed. 

 

_She_ appeared behind Klancain as he was speaking to her during their lunch.

 

_She_ was giggling at the corner of the meeting room when she was talking to Countess Relia and Count Maxim about whether she should attend the inauguration of Greenland Aldnoah Reactor or not.

 

_She_ was looking at her with _her_ hands on the documents she was working on. She was forced to see _her_ damaged head as if it was something fun to do.

 

_She_ had been disturbing her all the time. 

 

At first she was really scared of it, but then... 

 

Finally, on the 33th day of her stay in the rebuilt Moon Base, Asseylum decided to talk it out. She put the tea she hadn’t touched and directly looking at the blond ghostly image of her sitting in front of her. It's been too much! She couldn't bear with it! 

 

“Can you please stop? Why are you doing this to me?” 

 

The ghost smirked, _”You are not questioning why I am having your face and having your name?”_

 

“I don’t need to. I don’t have any doubt that I am Asseylum Vers Allusia. You are just a holographic projector or some sort. You are that advanced that it’s only me knowing your presence. If you only have intention on scaring me then be gone. I am not afraid of you anymore. You are only wasting your time.”

 

The transparent image got closer to her face; Asseylum didn’t move an inch. She didn’t even blink as she bravely glared at _her_.

 

But the ghost knew what’s in her heart. _”You are not that certain about that... Why force yourself?”_

 

Asseylum gritted her teeth. “Just go away from me! Why can’t you leave me alone? What have I done wrong to you?”

 

_“I just want you to realize what you are.” “I need it.” “Why force yourself to believe that you are Asseylum Vers Allusia?” “Are that identity is so important to you?” “Why is it hard to you to accept that you are not what you think you are?”_

 

The blond empress gritted her teeth, trying to shoo away her fear and doubt, “How can I’m not Asseylum? Look at me! Look at my face! I know that you **are not** Asseylum Vers Allusia's ghost, are you? Stop pretending!”

 

The image smirked, and then turned dim until _she_ was unseen. _”Then, go see it yourself.”_ Bloody foot prints appeared on the floor. It started in front of Assey and marked its way out to the exit. The door was slowly opened, and the footprints went on. _”See, and give me the answer when you finally accept what you are, o spirit that was descended on the Moon…”_

 

"Right. Let's end this madness as soon as possible!" the empress ran, following that bloody footprints. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

The image saw as ‘The girl calling herself Asseylum’ was going out all the way to follow her lead. She had been running through the dim hall and silent corridors. It was a long way to go, but she threw away all the feeling of wanting to take any rest. She met no one on her way as _she_ was making her going down the path on different layer of dimension than human could be aware of. _She_ didn’t want ‘that girl’ to be disturbed by any other unnecessary human. _She_ only needed ‘that girl’ as...

 

....‘this Asseylum’ might could give _her_ the answer of the question that had been bugging _her_ for hundred years.

 

The question of why _she_ was here, in this world. 

 

Let's just call _her_ 'Terran', as Count Maxim had shouted at _her_ , when they were first meeting in the deep forest, after the Heaven's Fall. 

 

Terran had been living in this Earth for long...it's been since hundred years ago. 

 

She was not human. But, she had been playing out to be man, or woman, or girl, or boy, of many identities for a long time. She had been doing it for fun, watching how humans around her be happy or sad or angry or miserable.......everything... She also enjoyed how Count Maxim was so in pain remembering her so-called 'betrayal'. Seeing him tearing between love and hate was truly a magnificent view...

 

.....but she got bored. 

 

She had been bored for a long time actually. She had been 'having fun' for too much; she felt like to go back doing her task in this world, but she had forgotten, of the reason why she was here. 

 

By the time she sensed Asseylum when the Princess was visiting Count Maxim, she realized. This 'Asseylum' was just like her, only much younger. She hoped this newbie was still remember somehow of why she was here in this world. 

 

_[For that to happen, ‘this girl’ had to realize first…what has made her to be.]_ Terran had guided ‘Asseylum’ through the last closed door. As it was opened, it showed the two tanks in the centre on the room. Those things had been emptied, and there’s no one inside the chamber for now. 

 

‘Asseylum’ walked in and suddenly there were soft images of people in white coat working on those machines there. Slowly but sure the room appeared as if it restored itself: The cracks on the steel wall were gone. The cables and pipes that had been pulled out and scattered were going back to their place. The big tanks were filled with clear liquid and she saw a beautiful woman with long hair was on one of them.

 

_“…Orlane.”_

 

‘Asseylum’ turned around. A transparent image of Count Saazbaum was there, looking at that woman with great sorrow in his eyes. 

 

_”My dearest…I’ve avenged your death; I’ve killed a royal family…..You can see her there, beside you.”_

 

‘Asseylum looked back at the tanks. Now both of them were restored, and she could saw _herself was floating there as lifeless as a doll with bluish body and no-longer-bleeding wound on her head. Her eyes were a bit opened and it’s clear that ‘nothing’ was there._

 

She felt deathly cold. If Asseylum had been died, then who was she? _Who was this Asseylum?_ But her thought was disrupted by the continuation of the past unfolded. 

 

“I have been succeded in our revenge! I've killed that Princess! But that boy….the boy that I see as my own son—our son—was weeping out there. He had been trying to threaten me with his poor gun in **my military base** in his **desperate attempt** to save his childhood friend—begging for her to be healed by **me who had shot her in front of his eyes** —begging for this corpse to stay alive.” Saazbaum walked pass through ‘Asseylum’ and touched the clear glass that separated him and his ‘Orlane’. “……although I’ve avenged you, you won’t come back to me. You will…never….never......and this hollow called hatred is still.....still..... 

........and I've hurt our son and probably will keep on hurting him…. I'm just a slave of my revenge... Orlane....I'm sorry...I've been a very bad father...”

 

The room was quiet. No one dare to speak, but Asseylum knew. She just knew. 

 

That everyone present in this room, during that moment, was wondering: there's no end for this pain called hatred. Not unless they learned how to forgive. But then, who would teach them? 

 

It was war after all. 

 

Finally someone wearing a heavy glasses asked, “Count Saazbaum. What should we do?”

 

The wounded and old father straightened his posture. After taking a deep heavy breath, he stated, “Cure her.”

 

“But…But, Count that’s—“

 

“CURE HER!” He stepped away, “I don’t care what her condition is. Just fix her as if she’s still alive. My boy would not be able to continue his life seeing her death. I’m trying to protect my son here.”

 

“……Yes, My Lord.”

 

 

The image was gradually gone. The chamber was slowly restored back to its broken state.

 

Tears were streaming down from Asseylum’s face. 

 

But no sound escaped her lips. At all. 

 

* * *

 

Slaine heaved a long, tired, sigh. He had been walking on this merciless heat in his female-disguise to buy things from the store. 'Her' long hair and layers of dress were only adding to her-uh I mean- his sorrow in this heat. And he was meeting with Lee on the way near the beach and that Asian man was talking to no end about how big the fish he had caught and his dramatic story about how he got them! And that man was so used in this temperature and acted as if Sline didn't mind the heat too..... And it was hard to make him stop talking! Slaine realized it now why Inaho disliked him. 

 

Oh, but lately Lee was helping Inaho bulding _something_ in one emptied room in the house which Slaine was prohibited to know. He felt so vexed due to it. Moreover, he felt whatever Inaho was planning must be not good for him. Don't ask why--he just knew. Particularly with that brunet stated in flat tone with his ultimate pokerface: 'it's a surprise, you'll know when the time comes. For now, it is a secret.'

 

'Secret'. When Slaine thought about it... It was odd that Inaho had asked him to buy eggs and fruit sandwiches without giving him the car key. Moreover, Lee was blabbering about fish while it seemed that the fish he brought were the same fish that Slaine saw on sale in the store yesterday. Were both of the Asian men trying to make him away from the house this noon? What's their objectives? 

 

Slaine huffed, and decided to take shelter under a group of coconut trees. If that was Inaho's wish, then he might as well as took his alone time now. He looked at the blue horizon and the seagulls between the white clouds. His mind wandered... 

 

'They did not let him know.'

 

'Inaho were hiding something from him.'

 

......Count Saazbaum was also hiding something from him..... 

 

Now that Slaine thought about it: why did the Count saved the life of the Princess he had just shot? Even if it was due to his life was being threathened at the gun-point, still.... There were many chances that the mature Count could threw away the gun in his hands. There were also times when the Count was going away to deal with the medics and staffs.... And moreover he was not allowed to look how and where they had had been treating the princess; Count Saazbaum just brought him to that dim room where Princess Asseylum had been already there, floating inside a single tank like a lifeless doll. 

 

.....the Moon Base was filled with people that shared the same ideals as his Count father. So, why wasn't Asseylum's life being targetted again? He's just a lowly terran back then... He almost got nothing to protect her if Saazbaum was to kill her again and again....

 

.....and he wouldn't have ever known if only his childhood friend had been killed and what was there inside the tank was some sort of doll to trick him. Or perhaps he was too afraid to try to know...? He still remembered the numbing despair... In fact, the coldness of that feeling was obscuring all of his other memories about the moments after he saw princess Asseylum lying on her pool of blood... How did he get to the Moon Base in the end? Tharsis? Skycarrier? Some sort of Terran's vehicle with Edelrittuo helping him...? What...? ....he only remembered how Saazbaum presented him Asseylum in her vegetative state, saying to him

 

"I'm sorry."

 

Tears ran down Slaine's cheeks. Why? Why did he feel so in pain right now, while he was remembering the one whom he called 'father' right before he killed him? He could hold back his tears back then, why couldn't he for now? 

 

....why didn't his father display any sort of hatred towards him knowing his life was just about to end back then? It's as if...as if the former Count had accepted that Slaine was going to be the one who took his life sooner or later--that Slaine had the right to do so. Why? 

 

Slaine tried not to think about it anymore. The coldness of the sad memory was re-flooding through his being and he didn't like it. He couldn't explain anything to Inaho if he was coming home with heavy traces of tears. He absolutely didn't want that brunet to question anything! 

 

Slaine carefully wiped his cheeks, making sure he looks just okay. He tried to fill his mind with the thought that Princess--Empress Asseylum was just fine and she was very much alive. And she was establishing peace between Mars and Earth. And she was not inviting him to the Paris Aldnoah inauguration...finally she forgot this 'dead man' Slaine Troyard.... 

 

Slaine stopped at his track. 

 

If she had forgotten about him, then her previous 'command' to Inaho about 'saving him' was no longer valid. 

 

Slaine smiled a little, feeling that finally he could end his life in this world, peacefully. He was no longer having purpose to be here after all: the aldnoah that could be activated by anyone had come true. He was no longer needed in everything....

 

.....but then, Inaho's face came to his mind. 

 

Somehow that brunet's presence--even just as a mere thought--was able to render Slaine unable to think about anything else. He was just so..... Uh....yeah, he's _insufferable_. What else... _heartless_. Oh, and _so damn annoying color of orange._ Ah, let him added: _his eggs obsession was beyond reason._

 

Slaine didn't realize that there had been a small smile on his lips along the way. He absent-mindedly opened the fence, and then the door to his home. 

 

"Why are you smiling?"

 

Slaine almost threw up the paper bag he was carrying--Inaho suddenly said that right beside him! Luckily the brunet stopped the fall as he held his arms, tight, in almost an embrace. "Don't drop the egg, Bat."

 

Red face Slaine couldn't say anything--the brunet's face was too close! Furthermore, he seemed happy.... _suspiciously_ happy. 

 

"Wh...wha... What are you up to?"

 

".....Welcome home, my _wife_." Inaho stared at him in the most creepiest way (in Slaine's point of view), "what took you so long? We got tired of waiting...come...."

 

Inaho 'dragged' him to the room that he was not allowed to see before. By the time his mind questioning why the brunet mentioned 'we', he saw.... _them_.

 

The twin babies were on their cradle, in a sky-blue room. That chamber was decorated with seagulls and clouds drawn on stereoforms. There was also shooting stars above their bed, softly swaying. 

 

"Surprise..." Inaho said right on his right ear, with his _standard_ flat tone just as when he asked him what dishes should he make this morning while he had holidays. "...from now on, you will be taking care of _our sons_ while I am working on the facility. Let's do our best, together." 

 

Inaho gently hugged and kissed the all-silent, trembling, stiff and crying Slaine on the cheek. 

 

 

* * *

 

Asseylum stared, forlornly, at the empty twin tanks in front of her. 

 

Terran had told her that _she_ was, also, not Asseylum. _She_ was just mimicking the princess and acted as her ghost as _she_ wanted for Assey to remember what she truly was. 

 

But, Assey had refused to accept that. For her, she was Asseylum Vers Allusia--the Empress of Vers--no matter what. Terran was so angry in hearing that that _she_ just went away. Where? Assey didn't really care although _she_ had stated that she was the same kind of _her_. In other words--they were sort of 'siblings'--and Assey had been absolutely cold to this 'sister' of her. 

 

Assey smiled, sadly, starting to remember about Lemrina, her _sister_. What was she doing right now? Was she just alright? Despite all her effort she couldn't find her. It's as if her pink-hair sister was deliberately running away from her. Was she staying on Earth? Or was she on Mars? She missed her.... But then, was she still had the right to call her 'sister'? 

 

Tears were starting to stream down her cheeks again. 

 

She remembered how she had lost the necklace Slaine had given her as a protection charm. Back then, she didn't feel too much grief over it. Now that she thought perhaps it was because she was not really the one whom that boy had given that into. 

 

Klancain...Vers Kingdom... 

 

Everything...everyone... 

 

Assey had to accept that all what she believed was hers were actually not hers--even her own name. 

 

She burried her face on her knees. If she was not Asseylum, then what was she? 

 

Why was she being here? For what purpose she was here inside Asseylum Vers Allusia? 

 

She felt everything had become colder and colder. 

 

 

 

"Empress....Asseylum?"

 

Assey looked up, and saw Countess Relia was crouching in front of her. She was biting her lips in worry, "Are you alright, milady?"

 

The 'blond empress' smiled, seeing how calmed the red hair count seeing this room, "You've known, this long time, haven't you, Countess Relia?"

 

The red haired Countess avoided to look at her directly in the eyes, "I'm truly sorry, milady. But... I question your right to be the Empress of Vers."

 

Assey weakly stood, "due to the sight that you've found in this chamber? Do you think I bear no right to be Asseylum Vers Allusia?"

 

Relia looked up for a little while, and then stood, face to face with the empress. "Yes, but not really. It was a bonus, actually. I enjoy seeing you suffering due to your husband's cold attitude towards you."

 

"Wh..What? Countess Relia, what are you--"

 

"AT FIRST, I have a doubt; shall I take my revenge on you whilst it looks like you are not the Asseylum we were created from. But then, it doesn't matter. You are suddenly here without anyone noticing. Such a miraculous chance! I can't throw it away! Listen, actually, I don't think you have the right to be the Empress of Vers because of... _this_." She dispelled the hollographic device that she was wearing. The soft flowery lights were engulfing her. 

 

In the end... In that room... 

 

Asseylum Vers Allusia in her white sleeping dress was now face to face with Asseylum Vers Allusia in the red count dress. The Asseylum in red was carrying a gun in her right hand. 

 

"I hate you.... I've been HATING YOU FOR ALL MY LIFE!" the red put the end of her gun in Assey's mouth. The girl in the sleeping dress was too shock to utter a word or to do anything. "WHY MUST I HAVE YOUR FACE? WHY I WAS BORN TO BE YOU?" She laughed a bit between her cry, and then continued, "and then you encourage all that joined-research with the Earth to make Aldnoah that can be activated by anyone.... DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO EVERYONE AT THE SHADOW CASTLE ONCE THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED IN MAKING IT? I was lucky that Mom has helped me escape 4 years ago... But she... and all my _sisters_....they were not needed anymore...and..."

 

A scream. Then, Three sound of blast were echoing in that steel-built room. 

 

 

-to be continued-

 

 

 

“What makes a name?”

 

“Why are we here?"


End file.
